Buffalo Has a Hidden Castle. Its Architect Built It as a Gift for His Son. It's Listed at $1.4 Million.
Most Buffalonians don't know it exists. Mayfair Lane — a private Tudor-style English village tucked behind what appears from the street to be a carport off North Street in Allentown — was designed by E.B. Green, the architect responsible for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Buffalo Savings Bank Gold Dome, and dozens of the city's most beloved landmarks. At the end of the lane sits the castle he built in 1928 as a personal gift for his son. It is now listed at $1,400,000.
The Lane — and the Castle at Its End
Green designed Mayfair Lane to be deliberately inconspicuous. From the street, two staircases flank what looks like a standard parking entrance — but climb either one and you emerge onto a stone-cobbled private lane lined with Tudor stucco and brick townhomes with colorfully painted shutters and slate roofs, running quietly through the heart of the city. At the far end stands the castle: a 4,043-square-foot Gothic Revival structure with a stone archway entrance, quatrefoil windows, carved lion motifs, and a working drawbridge. Green built it for his son, E.B. Green Jr., who lived there until his sudden death in 1933. The house was purchased by Edwin and Estelle Weiss and remained in the same family for decades before passing to subsequent owners. The current listing represents a rare opportunity on a property that, as Buffalo Rising put it, is "legendary" but has been seen firsthand by very few.
What's Inside
The two-story Great Room is the heart of the interior: a monumental stone fireplace, intricate wood paneling, and carved Gothic trusses reclaimed from a 17th-century abbey — irreplaceable architectural salvage that cannot be reproduced. Floor-to-ceiling windows, a musician's loft, and a built-in koi pond complete the space. Birdcages crafted and hand-painted in Paris in the 1890s are incorporated into the design. The first floor offers a formal dining room, eat-in kitchen with pantry, family room with fireplace and garden access, and laundry. Four bedrooms and 2.5 baths occupy the second floor, joined by the Great Room overlook. A top-floor guest suite adds a fifth bedroom. Outside, a saltwater in-ground pool anchors the private landscaped yard. The property has previously listed at $1,600,000 and is now asking $1,400,000 — a number that, for a private Gothic castle in the heart of Allentown, needs no further justification.
The Internet Has Thoughts
Naturally, this listing caught the attention of Reddit's r/zillowgonewild community. See what people are saying about it here.
A hidden Tudor lane, a drawbridge, 17th-century abbey trusses, 1890s Paris birdcages, and a koi pond — all in the heart of Buffalo. View the full listing here.
